trade winds

American  

[trayd windz] / ˈtreɪd ˌwɪndz /

plural noun

• trade wind
  singular

1. tropical and subtropical winds that blow continuously toward the equator, from the northeast in the northern hemisphere and from the southeast in the southern hemisphere.

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trade winds Scientific  

/ trād /

1. Winds that blow steadily from east to west and toward the equator over most of the Torrid Zone. The trade winds are caused by hot air rising at the equator, with cool air moving in to take its place from the north and from the south. The winds are deflected westward because of the Earth's west-to-east rotation.

2. Compare antitrades

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Other Word Forms

• trade-wind
  adjective

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

trade winds

It sets in when east-to-west trade winds ease, allowing warm water which normally piles up in the western Pacific Ocean to slide back east and rise to the surface.

From Barron's ● Sep. 2, 2026

Researchers believe south-east trade winds may have directed rain toward nearby Minjerribah rather than K'gari.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 21, 2026

One of the ingredients of El Niño is triggered when the trade winds in the Pacific Ocean — winds that reliably blow from east to west — weaken.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 15, 2026

El Niño occurs every few years when trade winds of the tropical Pacific weaken and the ocean warms up.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 28, 2026

But the moment she saw it my mother decided she didn’t like Curacao and she often complained about the smell of gas and oil whenever the trade winds died down.

From "The Cay" by Theodore Taylor